With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

PDV · Jun 13, 2025

GhostKing 666 said:
I suppose it depends on how you look at things. This is the gods world, they are the ones ultimately in charge. They specifically only bring in mortals from other worlds because they see the world as a garden, and mortals as no different from the trees, bushes, flowers and other plants you'd put in such a garden. And if a mortal culture or civilization starts growing in ways they don't want, then just like with a tree that's growing a limb in the wrong place, they do some pruning to not mess up the image of whatever they want their garden to be.

Is this fair to the mortals stuck living under them? Not remotely, but I repeat, it's not their world. It's the gods world and they weren't under any obligation to warn the mortals from whatever worlds they took them from that while they could live in the world on the other side of the Gate if they moved there, it would only ever be under the rules of the gods of said world.

In that way, I wouldn't say they are guilty of laziness because they are pretty good "gardeners" from their perspective, even if they are guilty of entrapment.

If you think of it that way, they're a culture of slavers. And extremely unimaginative ones. That's not better by Paul's lights.

Mr Zoat · Jun 13, 2025

Antares1883 said:
I'm curious on how Paul got trapped in the first place, by this point he's very powerful, experienced and well equipped. Just how did the gods of this world trap him?

More or less just inviting him through. The arcane power level at which things transubstantiate on gate-world is substantially lower than Universe 16.

Darko · Jun 13, 2025

Mr Zoat said:
perform an orbital bombardment this.. Tower of Rage?"

"on this"

Mr Zoat · Jun 13, 2025

Darko said:
"on this"

Thank you, corrected.

Mr Zoat · Jun 14, 2025

18th July 2013
14:09 GMT -5

"Ted?"

"Help! H-"

I accelerate my perception, transition to low Earth orbit directly above KordTech's New York facility and look down. Some debris, no fire and no large group of attackers. Scans show no anti-transition technology. Transition down a probe, it materialises without difficulty. Transition myself down next to the exterior refuge point, erect construct shields.

"-elp!"

There's a slightly odd Doppler effect as I hear Ted's voice from my ring and from his own mouth at a slight delay as he shouts it into his mobile while chivvying his employees away from the building. There's a burned patch of tarmac where part of one wall used to be, a hole leading into the building closed to the workshop where the globe-.

"Ted, is the globe still here?"

He looks around, and sags slightly in relief as he jogs towards me.

"Yeah! Yeah, it is. It's-."

"Mad Hatter. It's looking like he was held inside it."

He frowns. "Why?"

"I don't know. Most people in the world don't fixate on what happened while they were Anti-Lifed, but he was crazy beforehand. He has five Peace Operatives with him?"

"Ah. Yeah. But they weren't wearing hats."

"The empowerment system they use is based on Apokoliptian technology. I'm assuming that he's using his connection to the globe to… Hack it, somehow."

"Wouldn't Batman have some sort of security against that kind of thing?"

"You can't secure against what you don't know is possible. And he only got seven, so… Is everyone out?"

"Ah, hold on. Michael!" He dashes over to the marshal, who's checking names off on a datapad. "How's it looking?"

"Good so far. We've still got.. people who haven't checked in yet-."

"Are we missing anyone who should be here?"

"Well, I-. I haven't seen Bobo yet. You know how he takes naps in the roof supports when he's hung over-"

I blink. "What?"

"-so he might have missed the alarm. Larry isn't out yet. I think he was in the can, so he's supposed to shelter in place but he might decide to run for it. That's it, until the others finish their checklists."

"Okay. Orange Lantern to-."

BOOM!

A boom tube opens in the middle of the car park, and Brut lopes through with Canis on his back.

"To Supergirl-."

Woosh!

Kara stands in the air proudly, fists on her hips, chest out and head back. "Here I come to save the day!"

Isn't that from Mighty Mouse? Never mind.

"Is your Kara in today?"

Ted nods. "Still inside. She figured that if whatever happened was so dangerous that she had to evacuate, there wasn't much point in anyone running."

"Alright. Canis, Kara?" Brut trots towards me as Kara floats down to ground level. "We mostly need information about what's going on. Kara, how resistant to mind control are you?"

She beams. "I've been practicing! It's like my mind isn't even there!"

"Good show. You know where the heavy equipment entrance is?" She nods excitedly. "Alright, you and Canis go there and await my signal. I'll meet up with Other Kara inside and try and get Tetch talking."

Kara looks puzzled. "We should just zoom in there and punch him!"

"It might come to that, and if you see a civilian in danger then don't wait, but we need to know what that globe thing is because there could be more."

She nods. "Right!"

Woosh!

"Canis, I'm relying on you to-." His eyes are unfocused. "Canis?"

"There is an artfulness to her simplicity." "But I can see the parts that aren't there."

"I'm glad you approve, but can you focus?"

"Yes." He nods. "My awareness will not suffer. Yah!"

Brut charges off, Canis drawing his mega rod. Okay. My power armour… Should fit through the interior of the building, especially if I fly rather than walk. Construct armour… Ugh. Maximising the chance of talking him down will require that my face be fully visible. Switch to light power armour, which is less tough but still has a kinetic barrier. Add an electromagnetic shield that can turn aside plasma and it should be sufficient… Okay.

I jog towards the opening… Ring, phone the workshop, just in case.

Compliance.

The hole-. Not super strength. And not an area effect blast. Directed plasma? I look up and see that the exterior cameras have been destroyed. Not something Tetch usually does, but certainly something that Peace Operatives would be programmed to do.

I march inside the building, making no effort to disguise my passage. He's not picking up the phone-. Couldn't he just tube himself out? Assuming that the location wasn't anchored, yes, and-. Fixed end point. I didn't ask Canis to check the area. Either that, or his precise location is about to become irrelevant.

"Jervis Tetch."

"I know who I am. And there's no need to shout."

That's not coming through via the ring, and KordTech doesn't have a tannoy system…

"How are you talking to me?"

"I used to like my small world. And then my world was forced to eat a cookie."

"Was that a metaphor?"

"Of course it's a metaphor! I have a doctorate in neuroscience, do you think I don't know how to use a metaphor!?"

"Usually, your references to Lewis Carroll are a bit more direct."

"I'm not exactly myself any more. And stop dithering, get in here. I want to do this directly."

Kara-. Hm. Scan is blocked, but she's got super hearing and I'm not being quiet.

"Kara, follow me when you've got a moment."

And then I press on into the workshop.

Ngamer11 · Jun 14, 2025

Mr Zoat said:
"Canis, I'm relying on you to-." His eyes are unfocused. "Canis?"

"There is an artfulness to her simplicity." "But I can see the parts that aren't there."

This is worrying. Perhaps she's the result of a form of identity suppression, with the real personality coming out when certain conditions are met?

Edit: Found an error.

Mr Zoat said:
"Usually, your references to Lewis Carole are a bit more direct."

That should say 'Lewis Carroll'.

Duke Long · Jun 14, 2025

Mr Zoat said:
Ted nods. "Still inside. She figured that if whatever happened was so dangerous that she had to evacuate, there wasn't much point in anyone running."

Not sure if I agree with that logic. What if the threat was extreme but focused only on killing people who stay in the building?

Mr Zoat said:
"The empowerment system they use is based on Apokoliptian technology. I'm assuming that he's using his connection to the globe to… Hack it, somehow."

That didn't occur to me at all. Seems like there's a decent chance of that being correct though.

Mr Zoat said:
Brut charges off, Canis drawing his mega rod. Okay. My power armour… Should fit through the interior of the building, especially if I fly rather than walk. Construct armour… Ugh. Maximising the chance of talking him down will require that my face be fully visible. Switch to light power armour, which is less tough but still has a kinetic barrier. Add a electromagnetic shield that can turn aside plasma and it should be sufficient… Okay.

'an'

Mr Zoat said:
And then I press on to into the workshop.

Extraneous 'to'
or
Extraneous 'into'

boo600 · Jun 14, 2025

Ngamer11 said:
This is worrying. Perhaps she's the result of a form of identity suppression, with the real personality coming out when certain conditions are met?

It would explain some things, but it could also be him reacting to her Torquasm.

I mean, it feels like foreshadowing. But given how stupidly powerful she is, with her hearing and all, her personality does seem like a necessary drawback to keep her from ROFL stomping the plot.

Chojin Patriarch · Jun 14, 2025

Mr Zoat said:
18th July 2013
14:09 GMT -5

"Ted?"

"Help! H-"

Right, no time to waste. Looks like Hatter (or whoever) is going for the prize right now. OL capturing two of the subverted OMACs accelerated his plans, so he's going to be desperate and thus unpredictable...

I accelerate my perception, transition to low Earth orbit directly above KordTech's New York facility and look down. Some debris, no fire and no large group of attackers. Scans show no anti-transition technology. Transition down a probe, it materialises without difficulty. Transition myself down next to the exterior refuge point, erect construct shields.

Good, no sign of wanton collateral damage, at least from here. They went straight for the prize and ran off anyone in the way.

"-elp!"

There's a slightly odd Doppler effect as I hear Ted's voice from my ring and from his own mouth at a slight delay as he shouts it into his mobile while chivvying his employees away from the building. There's a burned patch of tarmac where part of one wall used to be, a hole leading into the building closed to the workshop where the globe-.

Well, no need to guess the target, of course. We already knew what they were after, but it's nice to confirm it.

"Ted, is the globe still here?"

He looks around, and sags slightly in relief as he jogs towards me.

Surprised no other heroes have shown up yet, but it has literally just happened...

"Yeah! Yeah, it is. It's-."

"Mad Hatter. It's looking like he was held inside it."

He frowns. "Why?"

<shrugs> New God shit. Who knows?

"I don't know. Most people in the world don't fixate on what happened while they were Anti-Lifed, but he was crazy beforehand. He has five Peace Operatives with him?"

"Ah. Yeah. But they weren't wearing hats."

I shudder to imagine if the Hatter has evolved beyond hats... No hat needed, for he sees the hat in your soul.

"The empowerment system they use is based on Apokoliptian technology. I'm assuming that he's using his connection to the globe to… Hack it, somehow."

"Wouldn't Batman have some sort of security against that kind of thing?"

Maybe if he'd consulted anyone about it who could have predicted that. I doubt Mister Miracle and Barda would think of it...

"You can't secure against what you don't know is possible. And he only got seven, so… Is everyone out?"

"Ah, hold on. Michael!" He dashes over to the marshal, who's checking names off on a datapad. "How's it looking?"

For a second, I thought that was Booster Gold, but no, this is totally the wrong era. That would be his regular head of security.

"Good so far. We've still got.. people who haven't checked in yet-."

"Are we missing anyone who should be here?"

Would the attackers feel the need to take hostages?

"Well, I-. I haven't seen Bobo yet. You know how he takes naps in the roof supports when he's hung over-"

I blink. "What?"

I mean, you know the ~~monkey~~ APE is damn smart. You wonder why he drinks?

"-so he might have missed the alarm. Larry isn't out yet. I think he was in the can, so he's supposed to shelter in place but he might decide to run for it. That's it, until the others finish their checklists."

"Okay. Orange Lantern to-."

Yeah, I would not want to leave a toilet in a disaster like this. Probably a fairly stable room.

BOOM!

A boom tube opens in the middle of the car park, and Brut lopes through with Canis on his beck.

Ah, good, one part of the backup has arrived.

"To Supergirl-."

Woosh!

And there's the other.

Kara stands in the air proudly, fists on her hips, chest out and head back. "Here I come to save the day!"

Isn't that from Mighty Mouse? Never mind.

Yes, it is. This really feels like she's doing a parody of 'naive Silver-age heroine', doesn't it?

"Is your Kara in today?"

Ted nods. "Still inside. She figured that if whatever happened was so dangerous that she had to evacuate, there wasn't much point in anyone running."

So she should be able to contain the OMACs by herself, at least one- or two-on-one.

"Alright. Canis, Kara?" Brut trots towards me as Kara floats down to ground level. "We mostly need information about what's going on. Kara, how resistant to mind control are you?"

She beams. "I've been practicing! It's like my mind isn't even there!"

...So many responses to that statement that would be so rude...

"Good show. You know where the heavy equipment entrance is?" She nods excitedly. "Alright, you and Canis go there and await my signal. I'll meet up with Other Kara inside and try and get Tetch talking."

Kara looks puzzled. "We should just zoom in there and punch him!"

...And pass up the chance to get him monologuing about his villainous plan? What sort of Silver-Age hero are you, girl?

"It might come to that, and if you see a civilian in danger then don't wait, but we need to know what that globe thing is because there could be more."

She nods. "Right!"

Here's hoping she doesn't get carried away.

Woosh!

"Canis, I'm relying on you to-." His eyes are unfocused. "Canis?"

"There is an artfulness to her simplicity." "But I can see the parts that aren't there."

Well, that is a big clue. She's either acting so well that even telepaths can be fooled by it, or she's been spiritually or mentally modified to act this way, and Canis can see the original outline of her soul...

"I'm glad you approve, but can you focus?"

"Yes." He nods. "My awareness will not suffer. Yah!"

Though I suspect he'll be paying very close attention to her from now on.

Brut charges off, Canis drawing his mega rod. Okay. My power armour… Should fit through the interior of the building, especially if I fly rather than walk. Construct armour… Ugh. Maximising the chance of talking him down will require that my face be fully visible. Switch to light power armour, which is less tough but still has a kinetic barrier. Add a electromagnetic shield that can turn aside plasma and it should be sufficient… Okay.

And as always, remember the best option for dealing with hits: Don't be there to get hit...

I jog towards the opening… Ring, phone the workshop, just in case.

Compliance.

The hole-. Not super strength. And not an area effect blast. Directed plasma? I look up and see that the exterior cameras have been destroyed. Not something Tetch usually does, but certainly something that Peace Operatives would be programmed to do.

So they may well believe they're following legitimate orders, and be entirely unaware of their actions. Just like the other two.

I march inside the building, making no effort to disguise my passage. He's not picking up the phone-. Couldn't he just tube himself out? Assuming that the location wasn't anchored, yes, and-. Fixed end point. I didn't ask Canis to check the area. Either that, or his precise location is about to become irrelevant.

Which means either he has what he came for, or what he came for is of no use to him. Either way, it would be a definite mission failure.

"Jervis Tetch."

"I know who I am. And there's no need to shout."

Well, he's sounding a lot more together than he usually is.

That's not coming through via the ring, and KordTech doesn't have a tannoy system…

"How are you talking to me?"

It'd be clear if it were something magical, wouldn't it? Even something as complex as area-effect Godspeech...

"I used to like my small world. And then my world was forced to eat a cookie."

"Was that a metaphor?"

In other words, he's a bit annoyed he was dragged out of his little delusion to face the scarier world.

"Of course it's a metaphor! I have a doctorate in neuroscience, do you think I don't know how to use a metaphor!?"

"Usually, your references to Lewis Carole are a bit more direct."

Let me guess, he minored in literature or similar.

"I'm not exactly myself any more. And stop dithering, get in here. I want to do this directly."

Kara-. Hm. Scan is blocked, but she's got super hearing and I'm not being quiet.

And you know she's going to be listening in. Both of them, in fact.

"Kara, follow me when you've got a moment."

And then I press on to into the workshop.

Yes, she's probably evading OMACs right now.

Ah, the anticipated facedown begins. Let's see how Tetch has changed, then. Both physically and mentally, since he already sounds more together than usual. Perhaps we'll find out what the globe thing was too, and what it bestowed upon Tetch during his little incubation... Heck, we'll see if any of these assumptions are correct or not, I hope.

Mr Zoat · Jun 14, 2025

Ngamer11 said:
Edit: Found an error.

That should say 'Lewis Carroll'.

Duke Long said:
'an'

Extraneous 'to'
or
Extraneous 'into'

Thank you, corrected.

Chojin Patriarch said:
I mean, you know the monkey is damn smart. You wonder why he drinks?

ape

CTrees · Jun 14, 2025

Mr Zoat said:
"Is your Kara in today?"

Ted nods. "Still inside. She figured that if whatever happened was so dangerous that she had to evacuate, there wasn't much point in anyone running."

Ted's Kara is young, blonde, pretty, and possibly not immune to Tetch's mind control, especially given we don't know what upgrades he got. Sounds like an Alice-candidate to me... and she's out of contact.

BartlettMagic · Jun 14, 2025

Mr Zoat said:
"There is an artfulness to her simplicity." "But I can see the parts that aren't there."

i really need to figure out how to know when Godspeech is there while viewing in dark mode... but i am also jumping on the foreshadowing train

Huttj509 · Jun 14, 2025

BartlettMagic said:
i really need to figure out how to know when Godspeech is there while viewing in dark mode... but i am also jumping on the foreshadowing train

So, I use the stylus extension (forked off of Stylish some years back) with Xenforo's invisitext handler, though one would need to change the color settings for how it labels invisitext, as the black box wouldn't work in dark mode.

If you always view in dark mode should be doable, just like swap #000000ff out for #ffffff or something, but if you swap between dark and light might need to fiddle with the colors in the script a bit.

For just in dark mode this script should be decent to start:

.messageText span[style*="transparent"],
.messageText span[style*="Transparent"],
.messageText span[style*="TRANSPARENT"],
article span[style*="transparent"],
article span[style*="Transparent"],
article span[style*="TRANSPARENT"] {
text-decoration: underline dotted; #000000;
background: #ffffffff;
}
.messageText span[style*="transparent"]:hover,
.messageText span[style*="TRANSPARENT"]:hover,
.messageText span[style*="Transparent"]:hover,
article span[style*="transparent"]:hover,
article span[style*="Transparent"]:hover,
article span[style*="TRANSPARENT"]:hover {
color: #006400 !important;
}

And if I misinterpreted your post my apologies.

Steelplaza · Jun 14, 2025

Mr Zoat said:
"You can't secure against what you don't know is possible. And he only got seven, so… Is everyone out?"

He got at least seven. The dismissive behavior of the Peace Operative might have been because he was being controlled to dismiss the odd behavior of the Peace Agents. Really, there's no telling how many Agents Tetch can control.

They're very lucky they got him cornered. If he bothered to gather assistants and flee from Canis before, then at least whatever enhancements he has haven't made him physically unstoppable.

Mr Zoat said:
She beams. "I've been practicing! It's like my mind isn't even there!"

Kara II must be a lot of fun to write.

Mr Zoat said:
"There is an artfulness to her simplicity." "But I can see the parts that aren't there."

Finally someone who can see beneath the surface. Too bad OL can't reliably hear God-Speech, or he would definitely have filed that away for later.

Mr Zoat said:
"Kara, follow me when you've got a moment."

There are two people with super-hearing named Kara around, so that was a recipe for confusion.

hkim · Jun 14, 2025

If You Give A World A Cookie by Jervis Tetch

Sordid Snake · Jun 14, 2025

GhostKing 666 said:
Paul is someone who's just as guilty of treating the world of Falmart as a "game" as the gods. Only, Paul wants to play Civilization but the gods won't let him because that would ruin the game they've been playing for thousands of years.

And the name of their game is "Rimworld".

Darko · Jun 14, 2025

Mr Zoat said:
Okay. I can respect that. Briefly, then. A very long time ago the wizard Shazam empowered a mortal to act as his champion. Prince Teth Adam of Kandaq. They had a falling out and Shazam killed him, then bound his soul to his corpse so that he couldn't visit his gods in the afterlife and appeal the decision. About five years ago, a man named Theodore Adam visited his tomb, ritually murdered two archaeologists and bound Teth Adam's soul to a scarab pendant in order to hijack the power the wizard bestowed upon his former champion. He then rampaged on and off for the intervening period until finally being brought down in Louisiana by yours truly, something I achieved by destroying the pendant and so allowing Teth Adam to sabotage Theodore Adam's efforts

Mr Zoat said:
2nd September
09:45 GMT -5

First time I've seen Mister Adam since the fight in Louisiana. They've clearly made some effort to keep him clean; the mud that coated him as we crashed through the swamp at speed isn't there any longer and he hasn't become covered in dust or anything. His cuts and bruises have healed, but they would have done by now even at normal rates so that doesn't indicate anything about how active his powers are. The mundane chains binding him are thick titanium and the enchanted ones appear to be… Copper? Hm, but I think I can guess which set would survive longer if he actually decided to try to leave.

"Mrugnhrhrruuh."

"I'm ready." Circe lowers herself into a cross-legged seating position… About a metre off the ground behind Mister Adam's head. "Grayven, you should sit near to his feet.".

."
-?"
]

entirely immaterial. I can just about make out his face, but the rest of him is visible only as a vague shimmer in the air.

."

One is clearly Theodore Adam, and the other… Looks Arabic. Teth Adam, presumably. I watch as he turns aside a kick from Theodore and then grabs for his ankle. Theodore uses that as an opportunity to twist in the air in a way which normal physics would make impossible, his leg flashing past Teth's guard and striking him hard enough on the forehead to send him flying backwards, dust billowing outwards as his body skids across the ground.

"The same, but the arena's Roman. How about you?"

Circe floats a little closer to me. "Well, there they are. What do you intend to do?"

"Where does the
bouncing ball land? Hit
with your snout!"

My daiklave appears in my right hand as I launch myself at the window, passing through it with no difficulty and hurtling through the air towards the combatants. I extend my left hand and the ground leaps up to meet me, cushioning my landing as I drop into the centre of the arena.

Theodore watches me with fury in his gaze, while Teth Adam considers me more dispassionately. "What manner of creature are you?"

"I'm the one who destroyed the scarab. Want a hand?"

"I would be grateful."

"Rrragh!"

Theodore crosses the ground between us in three bounding leaps, right fist blatantly telegraphing his punch. I crouch slightly, pushing off with my right leg and timing my strike so that my left fist smashes into the side of his outstretched arm!

"nYaaagH!" Strike Down the Unworthy!

I hear his arm snap as his body slams into me, knocking me aside as he tumbles to the ground. He rolls with it but Teth Adom is already there, stamping on his break-

"A-ahg!"

-and dropping to hammer him in the head with his right fist! Teth Adam goes for a second blow, but Theodore somehow manages to muster enough strength to grab his wrist with his unbroken arm.

Which is when I run my sword through his chest to the hilt.

"Bwlwhgw!"

He convulses, then tries weakly to rise. He's not actually bleeding…

I turn back to the box. "Circe!"

The air between the box and Theodore's fallen form is briefly illuminated by her glowing body before she lands next to him. "A simple matter to bind him. Perhaps…"

She clenches her fists, then raises them high. In response the ground of the arena flows over Theodore, solidifying and hardening… In the shape of a sarcophagus decorated with a scarab. Hah!

Teth Adam regards it for a moment, then turns his attention to us. "My thanks, to both of you. What.. happens now?"

"Now?" I smile and lay my right hand on his left shoulder. "Now you wake up."

Zoat I found some mistakes while reading the story only side.

That should say "Teth Adom" not "Adam".

CrazyNoVa · Jun 14, 2025

Mr Zoat said:
"Alright. Canis, Kara?" Brut trots towards me as Kara floats down to ground level. "We mostly need information about what's going on. Kara, how resistant to mind control are you?"

She beams. "I've been practicing! It's like my mind isn't even there!"

MUST…RESIST…DUMB BLONDE JOKE…MUST…RESIST…DUMB BLONDE JOKE!

Mr Zoat · Jun 14, 2025

Darko said:
Zoat I found some mistakes while reading the story only side.

That should say "Teth Adom" not "Adam".

Grayven doesn't actually know that at that point.

Darko · Jun 14, 2025

Mr Zoat said:
wearing a white sherwani with gold embroidery and loose

The link seems to be broken.

Mr Zoat · Jun 15, 2025

Darko said:
The link seems to be broken.

MY LINKS SHALL NOT FALL TO NURGLE THIS DAY!

LZB1285 · Jun 15, 2025

BartlettMagic said:
i really need to figure out how to know when Godspeech is there while viewing in dark mode... but i am also jumping on the foreshadowing train

In the top right corner of a post with invisitext there is an eye symbol. This toggles the text from invisible, to hidden (like a inline spoiler). I believe there are other options in the profile settings.

Sockmonkey · Jun 15, 2025

Ah I knew that version of Kara had to have something wrong with her mind to be acting like a five year old all the time.
Kinda reminds me of the Renegade-verse version that had brain damage and had to have the blank spots filled in with eradicator programming.

Mr Zoat · Jun 15, 2025

18th July 2013
14:13 GMT -5

The first things that stands out are the closest two Peace Operatives, who are now sporting Mad Hatter… Headbands, in place of the usual hats. Headbands with a small piece of New God technology incorporated into them.

I don't think tearing their belts off is going to do the trick.

They both give me a slightly imperious once-over, but don't show any other interest. Behind them, two of their colleagues watch the other door while one is manhandling the globe into a cradle for Mr. Tetch.

Dr. Tetch isn't in costume. It's.. a little odd. I knew that he was 'short' rather than an actual dwarf, but his slightly oversized clothes always made him look smaller that he is. Now he's wearing pressed trousers and a normal-sized shirt under a lab coat. He's not even wearing a hat.

"Doctor Tetch, are you alright? You don't seem to be your normal self."

"I'm closer to being myself now than I have in years." He pulls some sort of Apokoliptian probe out of his pocket and points it at the globe. "Did you do this?"

"If you mean 'reassemble it', yes. You were inside it, weren't you?"

"I was. How did you reassemble it? And why?"

"I used the residual feeling of desire to put the parts that were meant to be together together. Why were you inside it?"

He turns to face me, face far more focused than in any of the recordings I've seen.

"Why don't you tell me?"

I smile. "Is that how Batman usually does it?"

"I wouldn't know." He glances aside for a moment, then snorts and shakes his head. "When it was him, I was usually too incoherent to really be aware of what was actually happening around me. I think.. Nygma mentioned that he liked to explain things, but that might have just been something he did to bring Nygma down."

"So… Alice in Wonderland..?"

"A well-written absurdist fantasy. I'm not fixated on it any more." He snort-laughs, shaking his head. "For now. I'm not actually 'better'. The white light just reset me to how I was before… Things went wrong. There's no reason why things can't happen the same way again."

"I'm not sure about that. You've gained experience and perspective on yourself."

He smiles grimly. "It's not that simple. Come on, what do you think I'm doing?"

"Ah… I think Mannheim was using your loose grip on reality, combined with the Anti-Life broadcast system, in an attempt to alter the nature of the world. To Anti-Life not just the people but the place, to… Manifest it, in some way. Is that right?"

"As far as I could tell. I was only coherent towards the end. He was… Overlaying my fantasy with… His." His face curls up in disgust.

"A great many people experienced things like that. If you'd like to talk to someone-."

"I can still feel it, you know."

Oh dear. "Feel the Anti-Life?"

"His… Dream. His fantasy. What he wanted to turn us all into. You'd think I'd be able to enjoy… This. Go back to work. Have some sort of life. But every time I tried to step away…"

"The machine for merging the left and right sides-."

"Oh, you found that? That was how Mannheim found me. I was trying to make my fantasies stronger to keep the Anti-Life out of my head."

"Did it work?"

He glares at me like I'm an idiot. "Of course it didn't work. It just made my fantasies darker."

"American McGee's Alice dark, or-."

"Yes, about that dark. Only rather than running around with a knife -which would at least have been something-, I was trapped in that. Total isolation like that isn't good for anyone, and I certainly wasn't in the best mental state."

"That sounds horrible. But I'm not… Really clear what you're doing now? You won't be able to reactivate that."

"No?"

"New God technology requires a New God to project their soul into it. I might be able to fake it a bit with my power rings, but that's it." Except… "Do you have a Mother Box?"

"No. Being plugged into a machine like this… Changed me." "I am the directing mind."

The globe… Shimmers? Pulses? There's definitely something about it that's more present than it was a moment ago.

Oh dear.

"Alright, so you can turn it on and that's probably got something to do with how you've hijacked the former Justifiers. But what are you trying to achieve? We already beat Mannheim."

"Did you?"

"Um. Well, he was effectively possessed by an alien tyrant god called Darkseid, and we're a long way off being able to kill or contain him. But everything about Darkseid was exorcised from Mannheim, and we scoured the Anti-Life from Earth. So. Yes?"

"So what are-" He points to one of the Peace Operatives. "-they?"

I grin, clenching my fists in excitement. "Thank you!"

"What?"

"Everyone's been telling me that they're nothing to worry about. It's just nice to have someone on the same wavelength as me where they're concerned. What in particular is it that bothers you about them? Is it the cultural elitism? Or the mind wiping? Or the bovine acceptance of-."

"What? What? No, stop, stop talking." By this point I've already stopped, but I wait for him to explain his complaint. "They're more photogenic Justifiers, they-."

"I agree completely."

He glares at me. "Stop agreeing with me!"

I affect a solemn expression. "I apologise. Please continue."

"I found enough Apokoliptian technology to hack those who were already vulnerable to Justification, but the rest are… Different enough that it didn't work." He gestures to the globe. "But with this, things are different."

"Darn it. Sorry, sorry."

"I'm glad that you appreciate your position."

"Yes, because now I've made as many supervillains as Ted has, so I can't hold his invisible cyborg chimp rampage over his head any more."

"I've hacked his control system! I know the true purpose of his slave-soldiers! And I will not let it happen, do you hear me!" Off With His Head!

"I understand completely. What exactly-"

The Peace Agents shudder, doubling over as blue armour plates begin growing over their skin!

Ngamer11 · Jun 15, 2025

Mr Zoat said:
"New God technology requires a New God to project their soul into it. I might be able to fake it a bit with my power rings, but that's it." Except… "Do you have a Mother Box?"

"No. Being plugged into a machine like this… Changed me." "I am the directing mind."

Great, another mundane Earth villain turn New God. I suppose if the Renegade timeline can have ascended heroes it's only right that the Paragon timeline will have ascended villains.

Mr Zoat said:
"I've hacking his control system! I know the true purpose of his slave-soldiers! And I will not let it happen, do you hear me!" Off With His Head!

"I understand completely. What exactly-"

The Peace Agents shudder, doubling over as blue armour plates begin growing over their skin!

So Batman can turn any Peace Agent into an OMAC. Hopefully more people will be concerned about that.

xSieg · Jun 15, 2025

you'd think I would get used to it being a reader of this story for so long now but somehow the way you derail the plotlines always catches me off guard.

I'm even more invested on Sane Hatter than Brother Eye. let's go, my weekend villain without a gimmick! you can do some minor crime and fuck over Batman accidentally!

Coltsguy · Jun 15, 2025

Invisitext is afoot! Also:

Mr Zoat said:
"I've hacking his control system!

'I'm' hacking.

Chojin Patriarch · Jun 15, 2025

Mr Zoat said:
18th July 2013
14:13 GMT -5

The first things that stands out are the closest two Peace Operatives, who are now sporting Mad Hatter… Headbands, in place of the usual hats. Headbands with a small piece of New God technology incorporated into them.

I don't think tearing their belts off is going to do the trick.

At this point, they're basically getting a double feed. They may well be stronger than expected. That doesn't bode well for Local Kara, either. Telling that Tetch has abandoned the hat theme, though.

They both give me a slightly imperious once-over, but don't show any other interest. Behind them, two of their colleagues watch the other door while one is manhandling the globe into a cradle for Mr. Tetch.

Dr. Tetch isn't in costume. It's.. a little odd. I knew that he was 'short' rather than an actual dwarf, but his slightly oversized clothes always made him look smaller that he is. Now he's wearing pressed trousers and a normal-sized shirt under a lab coat. He's not even wearing a hat.

I assume stuff like the overly-large nose and ludicrous buck teeth of some cartoonier depictions are artistic licence, but he's probably still not that handsome in real flesh. Although he's likely in better shape if the globe gave him any improvements.

"Doctor Tetch, are you alright? You don't seem to be your normal self."

"I'm closer to being myself now than I have in years." He pulls some sort of Apokoliptian probe out of his pocket and points it at the globe. "Did you do this?"

Oh, dear. Esotric technical skills and the focus to use them properly. His threat rating will be jumping up quite a bit after this.

"If you mean 'reassemble it', yes. You were inside it, weren't you?"

"I was. How did you reassemble it? And why?"

Asking the important questions on both ends. And answering some that were still up in the air.

"I used the residual feeling of desire to put the parts that were meant to be together together. Why were you inside it?"

He turns to face me, face far more focus than in any of the recordings I've seen.

Yes, and that makes him dangerous. In his delusions, he could be manipulated. Now? Now he is the manipulator.

"Why don't you tell me?"

I smile. "Is that how Batman usually does it?"

To be fair to Batman, he does know how to play off his foes' egos and psychoses before he takes them down. usually to try and defuse them when he can...

"I wouldn't know." He glances aside for a moment, then snorts and shakes his head. "When it was him, I was usually too incoherent to really be aware of what was actually happening around me. I think.. Nygma mentioned that he liked to explain things, but that might have just been something he did to bring Nygma down."

Given how much of Riddler's ego is tied up in being the smartest guy in the room, that would help to put him off-balance.

"So… Alice in Wonderland..?"

"A well-written absurdist fantasy. I'm not fixated on it any more." He snort-laughs, shaking his head. "For now. I'm not actually 'better'. The white light just reset me to how I was before… Things went wrong. There's no reason why things can't happen the same way again."

Except now you know the danger you face concerning tempting delusions.

"I'm not sure about that. You've gained experience and perspective on yourself."

He smiles grimly. "It's not that simple. Come on, what do you think I'm doing?"

True, some people, no matter how you help them and try to put them on a better path... They still slide right back into familiar, comforting routines. We'd rather be comfortable and kind-of happy than pushing ourselves and struggling.

"Ah… I think Mannheim was using your loose grip on reality, combined with the Anti-Life broadcast system, in an attempt to alter the nature of the world. To Anti-Life not just the people but the place, to… Manifest it, in some way. Is that right?"

"As far as I could tell. I was only coherent towards the end. He was… Overlaying my fantasy with… His." His face curls up in disgust.

Hmm... A fantasy of a world like Apokalips, a world where the strong break the weak to their yoke... Grim.

"A great many people experienced things like that. If you'd like to talk to someone-."

"I can still feel it, you know."

Oh dear. "Feel the Anti-Life?"

He was affected by the White Light Event, so it should be gone. But that doesn't mean he might not want it to stay gone.

"His… Dream. His fantasy. What he wanted to turn us all into. You'd think I'd be able to enjoy… This. Go back to work. Have some sort of life. But every time I tried to step away…"

"The machine for merging the left and right sides-."

So he's sort of stuck with the dark era seen in stuff like Final Crisis in his head?

Truly, a horrific fate.

"Oh, you found that? That was how Mannheim found me. I was trying to make my fantasies stronger to keep the Anti-Life out of my head."

"Did it work?"

Well, nice to have that explained. Sad to see that it went poorly, I take it.

He glares at me like I'm an idiot. "Of course it didn't work. It just made my fantasies darker."

"American McGee's Alice dark, or-."

Could have been worse, could have been that one Alice h-manga bu Juubaori Mashumaro. ...Admittedly, in that one (spoilers)

Wonderland is an Afterlife where Alice is an escaped sex-slave who finds a happier place and the Queen of Hearts, who was a murdered prostitute, found tyrannical agency...

"Yes, about that dark. Only rather than running around with a knife -which would at least have been something-, I was trapped in that. Total isolation like that isn't good for anyone, and I certainly wasn't in the best mental state."

"That sounds horrible. But I'm not… Really clear what you're doing now? You won't be able to reactive that."

True, humans are social creatures. There's a reason solitary confinement is a severe punishment...

"No?"

"New God technology requires a New God to project their soul into it. I might be able to fake it a bit with my power rings, but that's it." Except… "Do you have a Mother Box?"

Dangit, OL, don't give away the trick!

"No. Being plugged into a machine like this… Changed me." "I am the directing mind."

The globe… Shimmers? Pulses? There's definitely something about it that's more present than it was a moment ago.

Goddammit, OL. Anything from here is your fault. Nice job breaking it...

Oh dear.

"Alright, so you can turn it on and that's probably got something to do with how you've hijacked the former Justifiers. But what are you trying to achieve? We already beat Mannheim."

That is the question (No, not the vigilante.)

"Did you?"

"Um. Well, he was effectively possessed by an alien tyrant god called Darkseid, and we're a long way off being able to kill or contain him. But everything about Darkseid was exorcised from Mannheim, and we scoured the Anti-Life from Earth. So. Yes?"

No, you pushed Him back. Which means He's now interested in Earth.

"So what are-" He points to one of the Peace Operatives. "-they?"

I grin, clenching my fists in excitement. "Thank you!"

...Not the usual sort of reaction to a fellow being indignant.

"What?"

"Everyone's been telling me that they're nothing to worry about. It's just nice to have someone on the same wavelength as me where they're concerned. What in particular is it that bothers you about them? Is it the cultural elitism? Or the mind wiping? Or the bovine acceptance of-."

OL, I don't think that's the question he was asking. This seems to be more frustrated 'Why are you using the same tools as the bad people?' than 'This seems very concerning.'

"What? What? No, stop, stop talking." By this point I've already stopped, but I wait for him to explain his complaint. "They're more photogenic Justifiers, they-."

"I agree completely."

Man, this is a weird confrontation. Usually the good guy isn't on the bad guy's side at any point.

He glares at me. "Stop agreeing with me!"

I affect a solemn expression. "I apologise. Please continue."

OL keeping his mouth shut when he has a chance to chime in? Good luck.

"I found enough Apokoliptian technology to hack those who were already vulnerable to Justification, but the rest are… Different enough that it didn't work." He gestures to the globe. "But with this, things are different."

"Darn it. Sorry, sorry."

And presumably the ones he got here were simply the closest few. Or at least the most receptive and thus easiest to influence without notice.

"I'm glad that you appreciate your position."

"Yes, because now I've made as many supervillains as Ted has, so I can't hold his invisible cyborg chimp rampage over his head any more."

Some would argue you've made far more, but that seems a debate for another time.

"I've hacking his control system! I know the true purpose of his slave-soldiers! And I will not let it happen, do you hear me!" Off With His Head!

"I understand completely. What exactly-"

The Peace Agents shudder, doubling over as blue armour plates begin growing over their skin!

And out come the Infinite Crisis shells.

I see Tetch hasn't completely abandoned the Wonderland theme, he's simply changed his inspiration from the Hatter... To the Queen of hearts. Perhaps a Mad King of Hearts? Better than the sequel's Red King, who could conceivably be dreaming a whole universe. Let's just hope he's as ineffectual as the former.

CrazyNoVa · Jun 15, 2025

Perfect! Now all we need is sane Joker, and then we can start a sane Arkham villain club!

By the way, if Paul can't fix the Joker's brain with his Orange Ring because it would probably kill him, could Alan or Ghia'ta do it with their rings?

Duke Long · Jun 15, 2025

Mr Zoat said:
He turns to face me, face far more focus than in any of the recordings I've seen.

'focused'

Mr Zoat said:
"That sounds horrible. But I'm not… Really clear what you're doing now? You won't be able to reactive that."

'reactivate'

Mr Zoat said:
The Peace Agents shudder, doubling over as blue armour plates begin growing over their skin!

So is this Batman regaining control by turning them into the 'slaves in their own bodies' sort of OMAC like the ones from -14? Not shocking if even the very loyal OMACs aren't trustworthy enough for him.
Alternately, this could just be Tetch putting them into combat mode. I'd be a little surprised since it seemed like Oh El might have been talking him down (or at least successfully delaying hostilities).

With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

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